Bihar govt recommends CBI probe into death of NEET aspirant in Patna

The Bihar government recommended a CBI probe into the recent death of an 18-year-old NEET aspirant in Patna, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary said on Saturday. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Bihar police is investigating the case. The deceased, a woman from Jehanabad, was found unconscious in her hostel room in Patna's Chitragupt Nagar earlier this month. She died at a private hospital on January 11 after remaining in a coma for several days. Her family had alleged that she was sexually assaulted, accusing authorities of attempting a cover-up. ''Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Jee has urged the Government of India to hand over the investigation of the NEET student's murder case in Patna (Case No- 14/26) to the CBI. The incident must be thoroughly uncovered in a transparent and just manner,'' Choudhary said in a post on X. The deputy CM also holds the home portfolio. The parents of the NEET aspirant in Bihar on Saturday alleged that the state police was trying to hush up the matter by denying sexual assault and claiming that it was a case of suicide. Her post-mortem report did not exclude the possibility of sexual violence, and this finding contrasts with the police's initial claim that medical reports and CCTV footage had ruled out sexual assault. One person, an employee of her hostel, was arrested in connection with the case.